1 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: The show goes on. This is Elis Susman, managing editor 2 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: of Fishtrips, hosting the Official Show on the Fish Strips 3 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: podcast her solo pod. I think I've done here in 4 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, but that is changing in a big 5 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: way as we enter what should be the starting week 6 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: of Marlin's spring training. It's not going to be yet. 7 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: There is a whole lot to cover, and I'll be 8 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: doing so on a weekly basis here on the pod channel. 9 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: So I just want to share it to you guys 10 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: what I'm thinking in terms of the audio programming you 11 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: can expect from us here this season. Last season, the 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 1: official show, I was doing it usually two times a 13 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: week on Mondays and on Thursdays. Rather it was coming 14 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: out on Mondays and Thursdays. And that what's going to 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: be the plan moving forward, beginning this week and continue 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: doing indefinitely as long as the Marlin season goes hopefully 17 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: all the wayamso October, where on Mondays I'll be dropping 18 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: these solo pods with me reflecting on whatever is going 19 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: on and whatever is on my mind. Whenever I think 20 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: you guys really care about when it comes to all 21 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: things Marlins. On Thursdays, I expect to be joined by 22 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: a guest, a co host, multiple guests, multiple co hosts, 23 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: either members of my Fish Stripe staff or guests from 24 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: outside of Fish Stripes or even outside of the Marlins, 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: anybody that I think has a really critical perspective on 26 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: current events issues as well. So that's going to be 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: starting up this week and hopefully every single week, dropping 28 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: two of those episodes. At the very least, you'll get 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: these solo pods from me on Mondays. I pride myself 30 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: on being the first Marlins pod you listen to to 31 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: start off every week, and those pods will be there 32 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: for you usually on Thursdays. I will have that second 33 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: episode as well, again joined by either somebody from the 34 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: staff or a guest that will contribute a lot of 35 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: laughs and a lot of insight into your understanding of 36 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: the team. As you may have noticed now, I think 37 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: over four months we've been going with Fish Stripes Unfiltered 38 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: that is co hosted by Kevin Barral and Isaaca zoot By, 39 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 1: dropping episodes every other Saturday, so every two weeks, and 40 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: the intention is to continue that because they are doing 41 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 1: great with it. One of their best episodes yet just 42 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: released a few days ago with Kelly Saco. It was 43 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: so much fun. I really enjoyed it. So check that 44 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: out if you haven't already. That is available on all 45 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 1: the same feeds where you're getting the official show to 46 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: subscribe to the Fish Stripes podcast. Those full length episodes 47 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 1: of Unfiltered are already going up on YouTube. I am 48 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: tinkering with the idea of doing the same here with me. 49 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: I always get a little picky with the way that 50 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: I appear on camera and the way that I present 51 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: on camera and trying to do that while also you know, 52 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: looking down at the notes and being able to read 53 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,359 Speaker 1: the precise bits of information. The multitasking. A lot of 54 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: people are pretty good at that. Myself not so much. 55 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: I'm working on it, but at the very least I 56 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: do plan to have like some sort of video elements 57 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: to this that if not on YouTube it least I'll 58 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: clip it and share it on our social media accounts. 59 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: Another plug that if you're not following Fish Strips already 60 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: on Twitter, on Instagram, on TikTok. TikTok is one that 61 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: we set up last year, and Isaac and Kevin are 62 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: also pretty prominently involved with keeping that active. Follow us 63 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: on all those platforms. Last year we also did the 64 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: daily weekday podcast Big Fish Small Pod, and tentatively planning 65 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:45,839 Speaker 1: to do that as well. That's something that we really 66 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: need to wait until this lockout thaws out before we 67 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: do it, because there's just is such a deficit of 68 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: Marlin's news and substantial updates and we don't want to 69 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: give you. We don't want to mail it in with 70 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: that type of stuff. And that's really been the reason 71 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: from my hiatus on the solo bots. I didn't want 72 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: to mail it in stuff that I know was kind 73 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: of immaterial until we got more clarity about what the 74 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,120 Speaker 1: new collective bargaining agreement is going to look like, until 75 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: understanding where the dust settles with the Marlins off season 76 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: moves like just there's not a whole lot of really 77 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: productive discourse that, at least in my view, that we 78 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: can have right now. Other content creators can certainly disagree 79 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: and are doing a great job at proving me wrong 80 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: on that. Of course, the one that sticks out the 81 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: most is Peter Pratt, who tooked over locked on Marlins 82 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: right as the lockout was setting in in December. My 83 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: Tea has just done a fabulous job of incorporating unique 84 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,280 Speaker 1: angles on some of these topics and bringing in a 85 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: host of really insightful guests as well. So if you're 86 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: listening to this, surely you can find locked on Marlins 87 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: on some of those same outlets as well. I can't 88 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: contain my excitement for how much content there's going to 89 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:58,280 Speaker 1: be from the entire community once this thing loosens up 90 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: and we get going on the twenty twenty two baseball season, 91 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: the thirtieth season in Marlin's history, the fifth season under 92 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman's ownership. That is, for what 93 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: this episode is going to hone in on is how 94 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: the Marlins have progressed during the rebuild that was initiated 95 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: four and a half years ago when Derek Jeter, Bruce 96 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: Sherman and their ownership group took over. Recognized a middling 97 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: team probably even worse than that, that was kind of 98 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: rudderless and needed a big shake up. They did that 99 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: big shakeup. The specific angle that I want to dive 100 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: into on this show is how much these outside factors 101 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: beyond the Marlins control have impacted them this four and 102 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: a half year span of baseball, and specifically the last 103 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,720 Speaker 1: two full years have been unlike anything else that has 104 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: happened in baseball history. That needs to be acknowledge. I 105 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: don't think we do enough of pointing out how unusual 106 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: the outside factors surrounding the Marlins and major League Baseball 107 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: have been over the past few years, how those have 108 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 1: changed the way that the team has had to approach 109 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: so many facets of their team building during this time 110 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: they've been in this situation. You could say it's maybe 111 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: a more fortunate situation than other teams, and that the 112 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: expectations at the major league level have not been high 113 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: in any of these individual seasons. There hasn't been an 114 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: immense pressure to contend that might finally be syncing in 115 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty two. Yet are they in a place 116 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: where they can actually follow through on that? Can they 117 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: actually deliver on people expecting them to vault into being 118 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: a surefire postseason team all of a sudden, coming off 119 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: a year where they lost ninety five games. The answer 120 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: is probably not, But I think a lot of people 121 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 1: agree on that that there's still more worth they need 122 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 1: to do. The focus here is really on how those 123 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: outside factors have changed what was originally drawn up for 124 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: the team, What they initially planned to do, and the 125 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: kind of diversity that has impacted them. I've never been 126 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: one not a homer for the Marlins. I've never been 127 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: one to overly sympathize with the team. I mean, bottom line, 128 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: as I'll get to again, circling back at the end 129 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: of this episode, a lot of their issues or shortcomings 130 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: could be simply solved by spending more money. It's that 131 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: simple that this organization spends less money than most others, 132 00:07:20,960 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: less access to talents, and other sorts of internal advantages 133 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: that their rivals are reaping and they're missing out on 134 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 1: simply because of thriftiness, and that could go a long 135 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: way to changing it. Outside of that, some of the 136 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 1: other plans that they had, ones that were reasonably put together, 137 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: haven't quite panned out as they were hoping for. And 138 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: I think there are some real excuses that they could 139 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 1: use for that, And I want to walk you through 140 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: some of those excuses. How unlucky have the Marlins been 141 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: with this rebuild speak becuz of factors that are entirely 142 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: outside their control. That's an interesting question talked about alive. 143 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: So that's an interesting question. We're going to start with 144 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: COVID changing the way that these the baseball calendar worked, 145 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: and changing so much about our lives outside of baseball. 146 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: For sure. With the Marlins, as I said a few 147 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: minutes ago, there was not immense pressure to be a 148 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: contending team in twenty twenty. They did add some payrolls, 149 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: some veteran players. They're supposed to be improved from twenty 150 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: eighteen to twenty nineteen. Most importantly, twenty twenty was supposed 151 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: to be like the zenith of their farm system strength. 152 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:41,479 Speaker 1: That was supposed to be when really started to crystallize 153 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:46,439 Speaker 1: and start to form that entire homegrown core in twenty twenty, 154 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: that would be a few years removed from their first 155 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: draft under new ownership. That would give them enough time 156 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: for all the prospects they apply acquired in their rebuilding 157 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: trades to mature, get comfortable in the system, and to 158 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: make certain improved. That was enough time for them to 159 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: re establish themselves in the international market as well, which 160 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: had not been the case obviously prior to twenty eighteen. 161 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: There was a long drought. They were simply ignoring that 162 00:09:10,880 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: aspect of that entire talent pool in Latin America, their 163 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 1: Caribbean and elsewhere. So twenty twenty was supposed to be 164 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: as good as it gets from that standpoint, because not 165 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: only all those avenues for acquiring talent, but also the 166 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: fact that they were coming off of twenty nineteen where 167 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: they lost a million games, so they were going to 168 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: be picking number three overall in the drafts, So the 169 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: middle of that twenty twenty season was supposed to be 170 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: as good as it gets. That was supposed to be 171 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 1: their opportunity to ascend to an elite farm system, to 172 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: fill out every position, to fill out all their full 173 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: season levels from Single A to TRIPAA with talent, to 174 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: have waves of talent assembled and be ready to strike. 175 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: And because once you are in that position, those guys 176 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: either graduate to being productive big leaguers or you have 177 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 1: that golden opportunity to trade them for established stars. That 178 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: was all supposed to like come together in the middle 179 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: of twenty twenty. A reason why it didn't quite or 180 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:14,319 Speaker 1: you know, they didn't quite reach that pay They were 181 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:16,560 Speaker 1: never in the conversation for being like the number one 182 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: overall farm system in baseball. I think COVID has a 183 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: lot to do with that. Because of COVID, that wiped 184 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: out to the entire minor league season. For all these players, 185 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,440 Speaker 1: that twenty nineteen draft class in particularly, that was the 186 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: one that they were lauded for. People thought they kicked 187 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: ass with that twenty nineteen draft let off by J. J. 188 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: Boldey Cameron Meisner, including Pitt and Burdick and Nasim Nunia. 189 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: Isn't even deeper down that it looked like they had 190 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: really hit a home run with that draft class. Most 191 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: of those guys got to play a little bit in 192 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: that first summer in pro ball. Twenty twenty was supposed 193 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: to be their first full minor league season, and it 194 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: just did not happen. Instead of minor league season, like 195 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,720 Speaker 1: the small consolation that Major League Baseball was set up 196 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,880 Speaker 1: for player development purposes was the alternate training site Marlins 197 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: had that in Jupiter. It was capped at only sixty 198 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: total players, so that included the player I should say, 199 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: the player pool in total was just sixty players between 200 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: the major league active roster and the alternate training site, 201 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,160 Speaker 1: and so almost half of those guys already on the 202 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: big league roster. The other half in many cases, were 203 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: supposed to be ones that were possible reinforcements for the 204 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: big league roster. It skewed a lot older. It skewed 205 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: towards organizations that already had good depth in the upper 206 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: miners or guys that were already on the forty man roster, 207 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: and it could be optioned down. That was not really 208 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: advantageous at all for the Marlins. With few exceptions, I 209 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: think Bladet was one of the very few guys from 210 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 1: their recent draft classes that they felt merited a spot 211 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: at that alternate training site that had that combination of 212 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: being fairly close to a finished product and could also 213 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: they could get valuable learning lessons from competing alongside big 214 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: leaguers potentially big leaders at that alternate training side Outside 215 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 1: of him, for a vast majority of their top ranked 216 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: prospects in twenty twenty, it was just a lost season. 217 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: They had to do so much of their instruction remotely. 218 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: There were, I believe, in an instructional league at the 219 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,000 Speaker 1: end of twenty twenty like they did their best to 220 00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: cobble together some team building opportunities, some like hands on 221 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: skills instruction. It just was not, by any means like 222 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: full substitute for what they would have gained from that 223 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: minor league season. So that was one very specific setback. 224 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:44,280 Speaker 1: Is how baseball handled COVID in regards to minor league 225 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: players for a team that was in such a critical 226 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: spot that once that draft class came in in twenty twenty, 227 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,959 Speaker 1: because they that was yet another one the all pitcher 228 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 1: draft led by Max Meyer, that that was another one 229 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 1: by all draft experts accounts that they just got terrific 230 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: value out of it. We would learn in twenty twenty 231 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: one once those guys got on the field and that 232 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: hype really did seem to be validated. You just wonder 233 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 1: how much how much better it could have even been 234 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: if they had that first portion of the twenty twenty 235 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: summer to get their feet wet and pro ball. What 236 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: more do they learn? Is it possible that any of 237 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 1: them even advance even quicker through the minor leagues than 238 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: they already have from that draft class? Will never know. 239 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: We'll never know, but I think it's fair to cite 240 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: that as a setback to some extent with this Marlins rebuild. 241 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 1: I guess a footnote to that is the twenty twenty draft, 242 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: for as well as the Marlins did. Remember, it was 243 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: only a five round draft, five and the Marlins picked 244 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 1: up a handful of other guys as undrafted free agents. 245 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 1: As well. It seems like ancient history. But in twenty nineteen, 246 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 1: just the year before and for a good portion of 247 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:04,439 Speaker 1: the Marlins existence, MLB draft was forty rounds forty. Now 248 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: this past year, in twenty twenty one, it was shortened 249 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: to twenty, and that seems to be likely where we're 250 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: settling and moving forward. It was trending in that direction. 251 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: That shortened draft class in twenty twenty kind of limited 252 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: what the Marlins could have achieved because they were picking 253 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 1: number three overall and picking very early in every subsequent 254 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: rounds for as well as they did. This is the 255 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: reason why. That's why they had that window to maybe 256 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: on paper takeover as one of the very best farm 257 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: systems in baseball. Is if they had a full length 258 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: draft where they have one of the largest bonus pools 259 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: and they're picking early in every round and they have 260 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: this amateur department led by DJ Sphilick, a guy that 261 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 1: I really admire a lot and thinks he knows what 262 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: he's doing, that they could have even done more to 263 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: improve their standing in regards to organizational talents that was 264 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: deprived of them because of the after effects of COVID. 265 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: In negotiating that deal, that temporary deal between the Players 266 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: Association and Major League Baseball. You know, they decided to 267 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: shorten the draft. They didn't have a minor league season, 268 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: so nowhere to play them because there was just like 269 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 1: this build up of professional players that were under contract. 270 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: They came to that resolution, and it screwed over the 271 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: amateur players, and I think in particular it was it 272 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: was harmful for teams like the Marlins that are well 273 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:35,080 Speaker 1: suited for making quality draft picks and developing them. I 274 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: guess the other connection to that on the player development side, 275 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: stemming from COVID, you could point to how it trickled 276 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: into twenty twenty one. Remember, in twenty twenty one, we 277 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: did not have the full length minor league season that 278 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: we're accustomed to Minor league season as a whole, the 279 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: whole minor league system throughout the Marlins existence. Really since 280 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: the early nineties, things had always been the same. There 281 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: were always the same levels, there were approximately the same 282 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: length of a season, and that changed because of the 283 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: timing of Minor League Baseball's restructuring a couple winters ago, 284 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: where they trimmed out what was it about forty teams 285 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 1: to go down to one hundred and twenty. They removed 286 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: the short season level that was between rookie ball in 287 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: Low A, and they reduced the number of games ever 288 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: so slightly. Even under that restructuring, there was originally expected 289 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 1: to be about one hundred and thirty eight games at 290 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: the Upper Miners and one hundred and thirty two at 291 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 1: the Low A in High A. If I do remember 292 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: that correctly, instead, I'm pretty short notice. You may remember 293 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: they pushed back the start of the twenty twenty one 294 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: minor league season that did not start until May. It 295 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: was supposed to start a full month earlier. It turned 296 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: out to be a reduced schedule of only one hundred 297 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: and twenty games for the affiliates below TRIPAA with the 298 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: Marlins because of other COVID related reasons, the reps were 299 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,040 Speaker 1: even less than that. A Pencil Cola only played one 300 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: hundred and eleven games, Blake played the full one hundred 301 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:09,479 Speaker 1: and twenty, but Jupiter played at one point seventeen something 302 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: like that. After missing that entire twenty to twenty season, 303 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,120 Speaker 1: now you have one where it's not quite as many 304 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: reps as usual, and you have that one partial level, 305 00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:22,879 Speaker 1: the short season level that doesn't even exist anymore, just 306 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: more like inability to another handicap for a team that 307 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: is so dependent on developing these players finding playing time, 308 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 1: helping all the pieces fit together. There were I guess, 309 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: some justifiable reasons for delaying the way they did that. 310 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: The timing of it was just a couple months after 311 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: COVID vaccinations were approved for like widespread use, so they 312 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 1: wanted to make sure as many players as possible could 313 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 1: get vaccinated before the season. They wanted to give the crowds, 314 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,719 Speaker 1: the people, the fans enough time to get vaccinated themselves 315 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:02,159 Speaker 1: and feel comfortable attending the games at a level where 316 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:07,000 Speaker 1: it is very heavily reliant on in person attendance for 317 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 1: those minor league teams, there were reasons I guess why 318 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,159 Speaker 1: they shortened the season the way that they did. The 319 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: bottom line is that it's just another detriment to what 320 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: the Marlins were trying to achieve on that front. Then 321 00:18:21,359 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: there's the financial side of COVID as well. As I 322 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: was digging through this research is coming up again with 323 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: the negotiation of the CBA. The role that revenue sharing 324 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 1: has played with the Marlins for almost the entire existence 325 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: and will continue to play. That was added to Major 326 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: League Baseball formally right after the previous workstoppage ninety four 327 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,280 Speaker 1: ninety five to set up a system where the largest, 328 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 1: most profitable teams shared a portion of their profits with 329 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,959 Speaker 1: the smaller market teams, understanding the importance for the league 330 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:00,199 Speaker 1: to have that national presence to remain viable in all 331 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 1: these different markets that the larger market teams donate to 332 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: the ones that have less steady revenue. The Marlins have 333 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: been arguably the number one beneficiary of revenue sharing. You've 334 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: known throughout their history that drawing in person attendance has 335 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 1: been a struggle for them almost the entire way, as 336 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: well as television revenue and other sources. So for that reason, 337 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: according to Evan Drelich of The Athletic, they received a 338 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: larger revenue sharing payout in twenty nineteen than any other team. 339 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: They received about seventy million dollars from the other big 340 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: market teams as part of revenue sharing. And I imagine 341 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 1: I think it's fair to say that when Sherman and 342 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,879 Speaker 1: Jeter they were putting together their idea for buying the 343 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: team and running the team, that they had made some 344 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,920 Speaker 1: sort of assumption that there would continue to be revenue 345 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: sharing like that that that was part of the equation. 346 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: That was part of what they had in mind in 347 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: terms of the money coming in and how they could 348 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: use that money to obviously build a contending team in 349 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:10,120 Speaker 1: all aspects. The pandemic turned that upside down in twenty twenty. 350 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: That was understandably a huge hit to the revenue because 351 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: they only played sixty games at the major league level, 352 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: barely forty percent, not even forty percent of the usual season, 353 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: and they did not have any in person attendance during 354 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 1: the regular season, and all the revenue lost out of that, 355 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: Baseball made the one time decision to ignore revenue sharing. 356 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: TOD not do revenue sharing that year because of the 357 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: lack of revenue, and if you dig really deep into it, 358 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,800 Speaker 1: there's actually an argument that bigger market teams suffered more 359 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: than small market teams from the way that the world 360 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: changed due to COVID that year. That has followed up though, 361 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 1: because in twenty twenty one it worked out this another 362 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: unique one time situation, which would be to kind of 363 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: delay the payouts to some ex of the revenue sharing 364 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty one, the recipients like the Marlins only 365 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: received half of the available revenue sharing money, with the 366 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: other half of it delayed into twenty twenty two, maybe 367 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 1: that hits books now. It's a little unclear from his 368 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 1: reporting exactly when the other half of the usual revenue 369 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: sharing payment will hit the books for the Marlins. Either way, 370 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: if you're looking at what they did in putting together 371 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,439 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty one team that I was pretty critical of, 372 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:29,920 Speaker 1: you know, I was saying from the beginning that they 373 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 1: did not do enough to make coming off a postseason appearance. 374 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,640 Speaker 1: We'll get to that in a moment too, they game 375 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 1: back to the playoffs, that they did not do enough 376 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: to capitalize on that enthusiasm and give it any chance 377 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: of being replicated with the way that they put that 378 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:50,360 Speaker 1: team together in twenty twenty one, it's I would theorize 379 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:54,840 Speaker 1: that because of the revenue sharing situation, the total lack 380 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 1: of that extra boost, you could say it was really 381 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,560 Speaker 1: kind of like the the foundation of their spending, the base, 382 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: the financial base, the money that they had banked on 383 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: coming in that had they been relying on coming in 384 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: that was just not there for them coming off the 385 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two season. That may have impacted almost certainly 386 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: the amount of money they spent on payroll for twenty 387 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 1: twenty one because of how frugal they were that team. 388 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:25,880 Speaker 1: I don't think they had a winning record at any 389 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: point during the twenty twenty one season as they tried 390 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 1: to fill They try to plug holes as best they 391 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 1: could without actually making any sort of substantial investments in that. 392 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 1: Some other little things on the financial side. Part of 393 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty schedule that I was really excited about 394 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,959 Speaker 1: was this series early on in April that was scheduled 395 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 1: between the Marlins and the Mets in Puerto Rico. It'd 396 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: be the first time that any series had been played 397 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,200 Speaker 1: in the regular season in Puerto Rico in almost a decade. 398 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,919 Speaker 1: For a Marlins team that just does not get a 399 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: whole out of national international spotlight for their games. You 400 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: may be aware of that things like Sunday Night Baseball. 401 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,240 Speaker 1: It's been years since Marlins were on at a national 402 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: game like that. This was pretty important, even if it 403 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: was just a three game series in Puerto Rico. There 404 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,159 Speaker 1: were Puerto Rican players on both sides going to a 405 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 1: community that loves its baseball and has hosted it in 406 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: the past. A little efense like that that could have 407 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,360 Speaker 1: improved the visibility of the franchise got them more interested 408 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 1: in individual players on the Marlins. That didn't happen, and 409 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: I don't think that's even been rescheduled for any upcoming 410 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: year yet, Like there's still no commitment that they're going 411 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:39,680 Speaker 1: to do what they planned to do in Puerto Rico 412 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 1: for that special series that disappeared. Even on a larger scale, 413 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: the World Baseball Classic, remember that there was a lot 414 00:23:47,680 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: of hype when it was announced that Lone Tibo Park 415 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: would be the main host of that entire tournament, which 416 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: had been scheduled for twenty twenty one. They do it 417 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: every four years in Lone Ti Park at the time, 418 00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: it was still referred to with Marlins Park would be 419 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: hosting the entire semi finals and the finals, and it 420 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: may have been also a group stage even below that. 421 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: They were going to host about half of the entire 422 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: tournament of the World Baseball Classic for a market that 423 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: has they have hosted WBC game before in the previous one. 424 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: They hosted just a small portion of it in twenty seventeen, 425 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: and I think some people that attended those games still 426 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: swear that it was one of the best baseball experiences 427 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: ever had there would have been nice crowds to this 428 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: game and also that same national, international televised presence for 429 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 1: a ballpark that had just recently put in some of 430 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: its critical gameplay changes. That was the time entering twenty 431 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: twenty is when they installed the turf to replace the 432 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: natural grass that kept getting dried up and uneven. Where 433 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: they brought in the fences a little bit more with 434 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 1: the idea of having it playing more neutral conditions instead 435 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: of being so ridiculously pictured friendly. That could have been 436 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: an epic showcase of what Marlin's home games could be like. 437 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:14,520 Speaker 1: That could have trickled into the regular season. That again, 438 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,719 Speaker 1: we didn't end up having any fans during that regular season. 439 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: As things currently look, tentatively scheduled to be the World 440 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,879 Speaker 1: Baseball Classic in twenty twenty three, that's still supposed to 441 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: be in Miami. Hopefully that still comes together as planned 442 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: a year from now. That's you know, fingers crossed that 443 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: still get that. It's just the timing of it is 444 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:42,239 Speaker 1: unfortunate for this Marlins team that is looking to that 445 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 1: had certain goals, driving up attendants, driving up interest, showing 446 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: the investments that they'd have legitimately made in the ballpark 447 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 1: experience in the ballpark playing conditions, they were unable to 448 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: showcase that because the WBC was canceled it was postponed indefinitely, 449 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: so far in advanced in the midst of COVID. The 450 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: final note on that being the attendance, where you've noticed 451 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 1: that the attendance has not measurably improved, for this was 452 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: almost identical twenty eighteen to twenty nineteen, just averaging ten 453 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: thousand paid tickets a game, and even lower in twenty 454 00:26:18,640 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: twenty one, for again some reasons that just bad luck 455 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 1: on the Marlins part. It is technically a retractable roof. 456 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,920 Speaker 1: You know, they can play open air or close their games. 457 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 1: As you know from following the Marlins, that roof is 458 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 1: barely ever open. You know it was the judgment of 459 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 1: especially has always been the case that most of their 460 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 1: games are played inside because of the threat of rain, 461 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: because of the humidity, and even more so when Jeter 462 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 1: took over, they leaned into the idea that this is 463 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: mostly just an indoor only venue for just the unintended 464 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 1: consequences that could have when you open things up. But 465 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: making that decision to almost always keep the roof close 466 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: means that when you're playing in the midst of COVID, 467 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: you also have to take extra precautions. They were one 468 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: of the final teams to have restrictions on the number 469 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:11,920 Speaker 1: of fans I could attend for most of the year. 470 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty one, they were only selling about a 471 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,800 Speaker 1: quarter of the tickets a quarter of all the tickets 472 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: in the stadium for people because of as one of 473 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: the few teams that play indoors, and how much more 474 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 1: of health risk it is and how much easier it 475 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: is for the virus to spread if it is inside 476 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: as opposed to bring in an open air situation. You know, 477 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:38,600 Speaker 1: that's something that even though you say I think you 478 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:41,160 Speaker 1: can point out that they do have the option of 479 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: opening the doors on many days if there's ever a 480 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: threat of frame, they really don't have the option. You know. 481 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: The way that this facility was built, and obviously the 482 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 1: market that it was built in was done so with 483 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: the idea that the majority of the games would be indoors. 484 00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: In this particular situation, that costs the Marlins quite a 485 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:03,119 Speaker 1: bit of money, and it costs the Marlins with the 486 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:08,080 Speaker 1: ability to impact people and again to flaunt all the 487 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: what they feel were positive improvements to the gameplay, to 488 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:14,719 Speaker 1: the stadium, to the fan experience those that fan experience, 489 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 1: all the amenities, they weren't quite as many during the 490 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,640 Speaker 1: twenty twenty one season due to COVID risks and other 491 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: precautions that were being taken so in an effort to 492 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: keep fans as safe as possible. It's no exaggeration to 493 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:36,400 Speaker 1: say that they lost million. They didn't create as many 494 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: millions of dollars in revenue on location as they could 495 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: have realistically projected because of the precautions they had to 496 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: take and the priorities that they had to put first 497 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,680 Speaker 1: ahead of baseball and the head of making profits. So 498 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: that brings us to the lockout covering all of COVID, 499 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,960 Speaker 1: and COVID is going to continue to have subtle impacts 500 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 1: on the season moving forward. Unfortunately, even with everybody getting vaccinated, 501 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: it continues to be something that we don't fully understand, 502 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:13,160 Speaker 1: something that continues to evolve. It's frustrating and it's going 503 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,239 Speaker 1: to continue to put a bit of a cramp in 504 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: the way that Marlins run on the business side and 505 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:23,160 Speaker 1: all that, and even on the player development side, specifically 506 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: with the lockout, real thing that inspired me to record 507 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: this now is Saturday's kind of expected news, which is 508 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: that Major League Baseball made another offer to the players union, 509 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: and it was a sucky offer. That it was just 510 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 1: extremely similar to what they had been making previously in January, 511 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: that it was unreasonable on numerous fronts in terms of 512 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: how really the most important one that I've been mentioning 513 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: on a few different platforms is how Major League Baseball 514 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,480 Speaker 1: just does not want to budge enough when it comes 515 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: to compensating young major league players at a time when 516 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: across the league many of the most marketable and top 517 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: performing players are those who aren't even arbitration eligible. Yet 518 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: that those players are being exploited during those few years 519 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 1: and really even bleeding into their arbitration your say, are 520 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: being paid so blow their market value. Players that used 521 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: to be earning the biggest contracts in free agency don't 522 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,480 Speaker 1: get them as regularly as front offices now prioritize the 523 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: younger players, So the younger players continue to be making 524 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: less than it makes sense for them to make, while 525 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: the money that used to be going to the veteran 526 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 1: players no longer does because those players moving forward aren't 527 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: projected to contribute as much as we used to think 528 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:47,440 Speaker 1: that they do. And that's why steadily, even though revenues 529 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: continue to grow very very rapidly across baseball, that player 530 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: payroll and player contracts have mostly stagnated during that time. 531 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: The front offices, you know, they believe the players that 532 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: they want to pay the most are the super young ones. 533 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: But those are the ones that don't even have the 534 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: leverage to negotiate their own contracts until they get at 535 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: least to their arbitration years. Both sides still hung up 536 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 1: on that. Both sides still hung up on a bunch 537 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 1: of minor details as well, like the size of the 538 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: postseason field, how many teams should be in there, how, 539 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 1: just other core economic issues besides that as well. So 540 00:31:28,760 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: it is frustrating, and it's become clear. I record this 541 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: on Super Bowl Sunday, February thirteenth. It's obvious to me 542 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: at this point, like I put it, about ninety eight percent, 543 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: that opening day is going to get pushed back, that 544 00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: we are going to fall behind schedule with that. On 545 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 1: the transaction side, the Marlins were one of the more 546 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,440 Speaker 1: active buyers, you could say, at the start of the 547 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 1: off season before the lockout. Signing Obviously Al Garcia trading 548 00:31:57,320 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: for Joey Wendell trading for Jacob Stallings. Compared to most teams, 549 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: you know, they are closer to like putting together their 550 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,160 Speaker 1: full team than most are. But they are not done. 551 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: And that's another thing we've reiterated again and again. As 552 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: much as it's tempting to try to talk about how 553 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: this team currently lines up, what the season is going 554 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: to look like, I think it's just you need to 555 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: show the restraint to wait until the whole team is 556 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 1: put together. This is not the whole team. They still 557 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 1: have a pretty glaring hole in center field. They have 558 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 1: a lot of room to improve in the back of 559 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:38,520 Speaker 1: the bullpen, and they have to in order to address 560 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 1: those areas. Are they going to have to give up 561 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 1: more of their starting rotation depth via trade to do so? 562 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: If they do, then how do they replace some of 563 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 1: that starting pitching depth that for the moment they still 564 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: have in great abundance. That there's still a whole lot 565 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: to do no matter how this shakes out. Now that 566 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 1: we've reached this point where you're listening to this on 567 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: what was essentially at the time this was supposed to 568 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 1: be when pitchers and catchers were reporting to spring training. 569 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: The fact that they're still so far apart on this deal, 570 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 1: it tells you that we're not going to get full 571 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: spring training. And then even if they compress spring training, 572 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: there's going to have to be some sort of a 573 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,240 Speaker 1: buffer period to one give time to report for the 574 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,000 Speaker 1: players that are already on rosters, but also to allow 575 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: the many available unsigned free agents to sign. There are 576 00:33:28,360 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 1: hundreds of players hundreds still that played in the major 577 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,520 Speaker 1: leagues last year in our free agents now. A bunch 578 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: of those are technically major league free agents. Some of 579 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: those are our minor league free agents that just had 580 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: a cup of coffee coming up and down. Yeah, And 581 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: this is another thing that's, you know, holding up the 582 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:49,479 Speaker 1: negotiations is that teams cycle through more total players than 583 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: they ever had before that shuttle between Triple A and 584 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 1: the majors. It is more active than ever. And those 585 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: players even more so than the pre arbitration stars, those 586 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: at the very bottom of the totem pol that just 587 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,120 Speaker 1: get cups of coffee to fill in that the back 588 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:08,440 Speaker 1: of the bullpen or to replace an injured position player. 589 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,920 Speaker 1: That those players have really a tough living from a 590 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,720 Speaker 1: lifestyle standpoint and from financial standpoint, because they're not getting 591 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 1: a full season salary if they're moving up and down 592 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 1: from TRIPAA to the minors. And that's one of the 593 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:26,120 Speaker 1: other reforms that the Players Association is really digging their 594 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 1: feet in. It's making conditions better for that carousel of 595 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: players that come in to fill roster holes, and how 596 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:35,839 Speaker 1: pretty much every team has that practice of doing it, 597 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 1: even though it is not ideal of an ideal lifestyle 598 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:44,600 Speaker 1: for those players that only get to taste the majors 599 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: very briefly and are not treated well no matter what. 600 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,800 Speaker 1: At this point, we've reached the point where spring training 601 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 1: is not going to be normal. It's not going to 602 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: be a normal length, which means things are compressed, and 603 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:59,760 Speaker 1: it puts additional pressure on kim Ang and the Marlins 604 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: front has to get those final pieces where the very 605 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: least we're expecting one more bad again. I personally think 606 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:08,719 Speaker 1: that it needs to be another big priority for them 607 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:11,600 Speaker 1: to improve the bullpen and get somebody at the back 608 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: end of the bullpen that reliably misses bats and can 609 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:19,279 Speaker 1: handle a variety of roles. Either way, they're going to 610 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: be dealing with a compressed time frame. It's going to 611 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 1: be either a very tiny window to make those most 612 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:26,040 Speaker 1: before spring training, or they'll have to be making those 613 00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,080 Speaker 1: moves as spring training is going on, and for a 614 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: year where they are not shying away from raising expectations. Finally, 615 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,719 Speaker 1: where they want to sell you on the idea that 616 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: this is going to be a competitive team, especially if 617 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: the postseason does expand to twelve teams to fourteen teams. 618 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 1: I mean, that was the only reason why they made 619 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 1: it in twenty twenty because of all the extra teams 620 00:35:48,760 --> 00:35:52,480 Speaker 1: that were available, and long term, I think that's a 621 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:54,959 Speaker 1: good thing for the Marlins for a small market team 622 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:59,719 Speaker 1: relatively that they're never expecting to put together a juggernaut, 623 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,240 Speaker 1: a hundred win team. If they could just win ninety 624 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:05,480 Speaker 1: every year, then that may be enough to get them 625 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:11,399 Speaker 1: into the postseason with twelve teams fourteen teams. Yet, as 626 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 1: currently constructed, this is not a ninety win team. There's 627 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,520 Speaker 1: still more work to do. And because of the way 628 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: that this lockout has totally interrupted the postseason, interrupted the 629 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: off season, and ultimately it's going to condense the off season. 630 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 1: They're just not going to be as much time to 631 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 1: have these negotiations to make what you feel are comfortable decisions. 632 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:35,200 Speaker 1: The way that they would normally be. It's just another 633 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:40,359 Speaker 1: hindrance on this Marlins rebuild. As I reminded you up top, 634 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: I am not a shill for the Marlins. I'm not 635 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:48,000 Speaker 1: going to overly sympathize with their plight. A lot of 636 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:53,040 Speaker 1: this could simply have been addressed if understanding if adjusting 637 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: to the adversity was to make more money available. They did, 638 00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: after all, make the postseason in twenty twenty, and they 639 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 1: they would not have made it if it was a 640 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: full length season. Because they were able to do that, 641 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,799 Speaker 1: I think that really did lift the morale of the 642 00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:08,759 Speaker 1: fan base now that they didn't have that super long 643 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:12,799 Speaker 1: postseason drought. That's important that we can't gloss over that 644 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:17,920 Speaker 1: that they did some in this one particular case. They 645 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:21,480 Speaker 1: did reap the benefits of the pandemic to do that, 646 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:26,279 Speaker 1: and it's not like COVID prevented them from ironing out 647 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 1: the details of a new local television deal. That was 648 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:34,520 Speaker 1: when ownership changed, it was the number one priority for 649 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,399 Speaker 1: organizational leadership is to get a long, improved television deal 650 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:41,840 Speaker 1: and they were able to do that in the midst 651 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,319 Speaker 1: of this pandemic, and that was able to again help 652 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: with their revenue base for years and years to come. 653 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 1: They don't have that excuse moving forward. This did not 654 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: get in the way of that. Icing on top of 655 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: that cake would have to be the naming rights deal 656 00:37:56,719 --> 00:38:01,480 Speaker 1: with long Depot that came together regardless of these circumstances, 657 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:05,360 Speaker 1: for many years to come. This further puts them in 658 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: a position that they were not in before to have 659 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: all these steady revenue streams I guess you would call 660 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,320 Speaker 1: passive revenue streams that are going to be there for them. 661 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:19,200 Speaker 1: They're going to be there to help them establish that base, 662 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: regardless of what the exact future of revenue sharing is 663 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: from team to team. And also, I mean, this is 664 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:29,839 Speaker 1: not what forced them to make some of their mistakes 665 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:33,799 Speaker 1: on the player personnel side, Like none of this is 666 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:38,760 Speaker 1: an excuse for most obviously, you know, trading Christian Yelich, 667 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,800 Speaker 1: a very good outfielder with five years of club control remaining, 668 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,200 Speaker 1: and the results of that. You know, when we talk 669 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:47,840 Speaker 1: about bad luck with this Marlon's rebild, I'm not saying, 670 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:51,400 Speaker 1: you know, it's bad luck that they traded a future 671 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: MVP and got sub replacement level players in return. It's 672 00:38:56,719 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: it's not you know, that's just how the game is played. 673 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,439 Speaker 1: Sometimes it is a top fifty prospect, it turns into 674 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:06,279 Speaker 1: a cornerstone player of your franchise, and sometimes it turns 675 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,239 Speaker 1: into Lewis Brinson. That's what happens. That some of these 676 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:13,520 Speaker 1: decisions that they did make were it. It cannot be 677 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:17,760 Speaker 1: simply brushed away as bad luck. On the injury standpoint, 678 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: they are injuries. I've looked it up. I've put it 679 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:22,360 Speaker 1: into all the contexts that I can. They have really 680 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: not been affected any differently than the typical major league 681 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: team in terms of the particular talent that they've had unavailable, 682 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,719 Speaker 1: the specific injuries that they've been dealing with. They've been 683 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 1: totally normal in that regard. And on the player development side, 684 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 1: you know, even coming off this twenty twenty one season 685 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: where we saw a lot of their pitchers take great 686 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:49,840 Speaker 1: steps in a positive direction, but there's continuing to be 687 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: just it's just we're running out of answers with how 688 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:59,640 Speaker 1: to develop hitters. That is not seeming to change much 689 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:02,200 Speaker 1: at all. You know, there are a precious few examples 690 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 1: of hitters in this organization that you could get really 691 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 1: excited about right now. Meanwhile, in other organizations, those those 692 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:12,360 Speaker 1: hitters are flourishing, and they are becoming cornerstones of other franchises, 693 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,600 Speaker 1: while the Marlins they do not at this moment have 694 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:20,600 Speaker 1: any sort of offensive cornerstone of their organization, the their 695 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,319 Speaker 1: player development. The department needs to be held accountable for that. 696 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:28,200 Speaker 1: There's no excuse for that. You wrap it all together, 697 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 1: but I do think that these truly unusual circumstances to 698 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,120 Speaker 1: have a once in a century pandemic, to have a 699 00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,399 Speaker 1: once in a generation work stoppage come up almost back 700 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: to back, right at this time when the Marlins were 701 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,439 Speaker 1: supposed to be, you know, transforming their organization from top 702 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,879 Speaker 1: to bottom, or rather from bottom to top. That it's 703 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,440 Speaker 1: been inconvenient. It has been a big speed bump in 704 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,880 Speaker 1: what they were trying to do. It's really has changed 705 00:40:57,880 --> 00:40:59,920 Speaker 1: the timeline to me. You know, they're going to try 706 00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:01,879 Speaker 1: to sell you on the fact that twenty twenty two 707 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,759 Speaker 1: is their year to begin putting it all together. I 708 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:08,840 Speaker 1: think it's hard for me to believe that. You know, 709 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:12,960 Speaker 1: there's a best case scenario if everything goes together, then maybe, 710 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: but more likely that gets pushed back to twenty twenty 711 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:18,560 Speaker 1: three at the earliest. Because of the way that this 712 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,120 Speaker 1: has affected their player development operation and how it has 713 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:27,279 Speaker 1: affected their willingness to spend for these circumstances that have 714 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 1: been happening around them. But if I've missed any particular detail, 715 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:33,759 Speaker 1: if you feel very strongly the other way, police, just 716 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,200 Speaker 1: let me know. This is up on fishtrips dot com. 717 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:39,360 Speaker 1: Fishtrips dot com slash Podcasts is where we put all 718 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:44,120 Speaker 1: our full length episodes. If you were grateful to hear 719 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 1: from me, then just check back next week. Every Monday morning, 720 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: for hopefully the next eight months or so, you'll be 721 00:41:50,719 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 1: hearing my soul musings and almost almost every Thursday. I 722 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:58,799 Speaker 1: won't commit every single week, but almost every Thursday I'll 723 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: be joined by of fish Stripes staffer or a truly 724 00:42:04,600 --> 00:42:09,440 Speaker 1: truly captivating outside guest from either the Marlin's community or 725 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:13,719 Speaker 1: even outside of that. Usually two total podcast episodes a 726 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,600 Speaker 1: week from me alone, to go along with all other programming, 727 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:19,200 Speaker 1: to go along with the content that we put up 728 00:42:19,239 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 1: on fish stripes dot com and the live streams that 729 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:25,799 Speaker 1: we do across Twitter, YouTube, and Twitch. We hope you 730 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:30,160 Speaker 1: check all that out, and hopefully we're not that far 731 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:34,520 Speaker 1: away from actually having true new stuff to talk about 732 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:39,399 Speaker 1: with the consummation of a collective bargaining agreement. I am 733 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:52,600 Speaker 1: Elis husband. This is the official show go fish